Matsya Purana — Navagraha Sacrifice for Planetary Pacification and Prosperity, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

शान्त्यर्थं सर्वलोकानां नवग्रहमखः स्मृतः मानहीनाधिकं कुण्डम् अनेकभयदं भवेत् यस्मात्तस्मात् सुसम्पूर्णं शान्तिकुण्डं विधीयते //

Transliteration

śāntyarthaṃ sarvalokānāṃ navagrahamakhaḥ smṛtaḥ mānahīnādhikaṃ kuṇḍam anekabhayadaṃ bhavet yasmāttasmāt susampūrṇaṃ śāntikuṇḍaṃ vidhīyate //

Translation

समस्त लोकों की शान्ति के लिए नवग्रह-मख (यज्ञ) कहा गया है। जो कुण्ड माप में कम या अधिक हो, वह अनेक भय उत्पन्न करता है; इसलिए पूर्ण और सम्यक् माप वाला शान्ति-कुण्ड बनाना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• śānti-artham: for the purpose of peace/pacification

• sarva-lokānām: of all worlds/people

• nava-graha-makhaḥ: the sacrifice (makha) for the nine planets

• smṛtaḥ: is taught/remembered as (scripturally established)

• māna-hīna: lacking proper measure

• adhikam: excessive (beyond measure)

• kuṇḍam: fire-pit/altar

• aneka-bhaya-dam: giving many fears/dangers

• bhavet: becomes

• yasmāt tasmāt: therefore/for that reason

• su-sampūrṇam: well-complete, properly finished, fully correct

• śānti-kuṇḍam: pacificatory fire-pit

• vidhīyate: should be arranged/constructed/ordained.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Navagraha
• Śānti-kuṇḍa
• Kuṇḍa

Tags

• Navagraha
• Śānti
• Ritual
• Kuṇḍa
• Vastu Shastra

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on śānti (pacification) through the Navagraha-sacrifice and stresses that ritual construction must be correctly measured to avoid harmful outcomes.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It frames the Navagraha-śānti as a welfare-oriented rite—done “for all people”—and instructs rulers/householders to follow precise standards in ritual performance, since negligence in measurements is said to produce fear and misfortune.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It gives a Vāstu-like principle for ritual architecture: the kuṇḍa must be neither undersized nor oversized; only a properly proportioned, well-finished Śānti-kuṇḍa is fit for pacificatory rites.